Baltimore Catechism No. 4 (of 4) eBook

Every person’s motive in getting married or
in entering into any new state of life should be that
he may be able to serve God better in that state than
in any other.

291 Q. How should Christians prepare for a holy
and happy marriage? A. Christians should prepare
for a holy and happy marriage by receiving the Sacraments
of Penance and Holy Eucharist; by begging God to grant
them a pure intention and to direct their choice; and
by seeking the advice of their parents and the blessing
of their pastors.

They should pray for a long time that they may make
a good choice. They would do well to read in
the Holy Scripture, in the Book of Tobias (8), of
the happy marriage of Tobias and Sara, and how they
spent their time in prayer both before and after their
marriage, and how God rewarded them. Advice is
very necessary, as marriage is to last for life, and
is to make persons either happy or miserable.
They should ask advice from prudent persons, and should
try to learn something of the former life of the one
they wish to marry. They should know something
about the family, whether its members are respectable
or not, etc. It is an injustice to parents
for sons or daughters to marry into families that may
have been disgraced, or that may bring disgrace upon
them. Sometimes, however, parents are unreasonable
in this matter: they are proud or vain, and want
to suit themselves rather than their children.
Sometimes, too, they force marriage upon their children,
or forbid it for purely worldly or selfish motives.
In such cases, and indeed in all cases, the best one
to consult and ask advice from is your confessor.
He has only your spiritual interests at heart, and
will set aside all worldly motives. If your parents
are unreasonable, he will be a just judge in the matter,
and tell you how to act.

I have now explained all the Sacraments, but before
finishing I must say a word about the Holy Oils.
We have seen that oil is used in the administration
of some Sacraments. There are three kinds of oil
blessed by the bishop on Holy Thursday, namely, oil
for anointing the sick, called “oil of the infirm”;
oil to be used in Baptism and in the ordination of
priests, called “oil of catechumens” (catechumens
are those who are being instructed for Baptism); the
third kind of oil is used also in Baptism, in Confirmation,
and when the bishop blesses the sacred vessels, altars,
etc.; it is called “holy chrism.”
Therefore the Sacraments in which oil is used are:
Baptism, in which two kinds are used; Confirmation,
Extreme Unction, and Holy Orders.

Lesson 27
ON THE SACRAMENTALS

292 Q. What is a sacramental? A. A sacramental
is anything set apart or blessed by the Church to
excite good thoughts and to increase devotion, and
through these movements of the heart to remit venial
sin.